Over spring break thirteen Christian Business Leaders took a trip to the Dominican Republic. We got to partner with Mission of Hope to partake in various service projects and business visits. All thirteen of us learned so much about the culture of the country. This post will be a reflection of the trip.
We got to visit two businesses during our trip. The goal of these visits was to learn about how business runs in another country. We are all business majors, so we were able to gain a new perspective on business. The first business visit was to a coffee shop called CalCali. We got to enjoy some coffee and hear from the owner of the business. She explained CalCali’s competitive advantage of having control of the whole coffee-making process. She grows the coffee she sells in her business. The biggest takeaway I had from this meeting was her passion for coffee. Her passion inspired me to find a career I can have the same passion for. The second business was a supply chain business that grows and sells exotic vegetables. We got to hear about the unique opportunity the owners found. The biggest takeaway from this business visit was how important family was to the owners. The owners of the business are all siblings. Every single day they stop working to eat lunch with their parents. They run a successful business, but always find time for family.
This trip also gave us an opportunity to interact with the local community. We partnered with Mission of Hope to put on a sports camp for the local kids. We got to play baseball with fifty local kids aged 8-18. This was a cool opportunity to learn more about the culture and have fun serving the community. These kids had so much joy. These kids were also so talented. Throughout the week we got more opportunities to talk with the local community. The people of the Dominican Republic were so welcoming to us, always inviting us into their homes.
Overall this trip was extremely impactful as it allowed me to grow in my understanding of international cultures.
